The GSA Guide to our Highlands & Islands Campus
The GSA Highlands & Islands campus is based on the Altyre Estate in Moray in the north-east of Scotland. Studying at the campus offers students a unique experience of living in one of the most spectacular parts of Scotland in an area famed for its landscapes and stunning coastline. This guide is intended to help you get a good feel for what life at the GSA Highlands & Islands campus might be like, and to help you to prepare for study in this beautiful part of Scotland.
Campus in nature The A Campus
The campus is a centre for postgraduate study, research and innovation at the GSA and occupies a cluster of distinct heritage-listed Italianate buildings, constructed in the 1830s, which have been converted into state-ofthe-art research, studio, workshop and exhibition spaces. The campus also has a permaculture garden available both for student projects and gardening for pleasure.
At Altyre, the GSA’s famous studio-based learning environments are situated in a beautiful rural environment and community, rich with natural resources and opportunities to develop ethical and sustainable practices and approaches to disciplinary learning and research.
The Altyre Estate comprises woodland, moorland and farmland and is a popular spot for walkers and cyclists. From the main campus buildings, there are many walks and trails of varying lengths to explore. The walk down to Loch of Blairs and around the water’s edge takes around an hour. Longer trails along the Dava Way run through the heart of the Estate and can easily be picked up from the main campus.
Moray and the Highlands have some of the most beautiful and biodiverse landscapes in Scotland. If you are keen on nature, the Altyre Campus offers some spectacular wildlife to spot and observe. The campus is surrounded by moorland and woodland and is within walking distance of Loch of Blairs. Here you might spot native and migratory birds including osprey, buzzard, siskin, blackcap, treecreeper, woodpeckers and many more. The estate is also home to some of Scotland’s more elusive mammals including otter, pine marten and red squirrel. There are a number of hides positioned around the estate that offer nature spotters a quiet and comfortable place to observe the estate’s wildlife.
& Findhorn Forres
Around two miles from the GSA Highlands & Islands Campus lies the historic town of Forres. This is where the GSA’s halls of residence are located, and where most students studying at our Altyre Campus live.
Knockomie halls of residence are located on the outside of the town, around a half hour walk or ten minute cycle to the town centre. The Royal halls of residence are a short five minute walk from the centre of the town, and a two minute walk from Forres train station.
The town boasts impressive parks and gardens, as well as useful amenities including a health centre where you can register with a GP. It also has several supermarkets, small shops, pubs and restaurants. Every July, the town hosts an annual Highland Games, one of Scotland’s most unique sporting events. The town has a number of historical attractions, among them Sueno’s Stone, a Pictish monolith and the tallest carved standing stone in Scotland. At the top of Cluny Hill sits Nelson’s Tower from which you can look across the stunning coastal landscapes of the Moray Firth.
Forres
Places to Eat & Drink
→ Mosset Tavern
→ The Bonnie Beastie
→ Café Fika
→ Cardamom Spice
→ Chimes
→ 1496 Café
→ Forres Coffee House
→ The Old Mill Inn, Brodie
→ Brodie Countryfare Restaurant, Brodie
Places to Shop
→ Supermarkets – Co-op, Tesco and Lidl
→ Ashers Bakery, Forres
→ Maclean’s Highland Bakery
→ Forres Health Foods
→ Wester Hardmuir Farmshop
→ Forres High Street Charity Shops
→ Under the Leaves Bookshop
Findhorn
Places to Eat & Drink
→ The Kimberley Inn
→ The Bakehouse Market
→ The Phoenix Café Bar
→ The Crown & Anchor
→ Captain’s Parlour Ice Cream Shop
→ The Captain’s Table
→ Torta
From the south of Forres, the River Findhorn winds through the countryside flowing into the sea waters of the Moray Firth. The River Findhorn sits in beautiful countryside, rich in wildlife, and is a perfect spot for walks and picnics within easy reach of Forres.
On the banks of the Moray Firth sits the pretty coastal village of Findhorn, home to the bienniel Findhorn Bay Arts Festival. From here you can set out along the Moray Coastal Trail, which runs for 50 miles from Findhorn to the coastal village of Cullen. The trail picks up impressive landscapes of rugged cliffs, caves and sheltered coves, passing through fisher-town harbours and large stretches of sandy beach.
There are several beautiful sand and shingle beaches along the coast offering perfect spots for swimming. At certain times of the year, and if the light and weather conditions allow, it is possible to observe the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, from the coast at Findhorn.
Inverness
Forres is a short 30 minute train journey to the town of Inverness. Known as the ‘Capital of the Highlands’, Inverness is a key transport hub for those travelling North to explore the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. It also has great transport connections to Scotland’s larger cities like Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The Highlands of Scotland is famous for its natural beauty and was named in National Geographic’s ‘Best in the World’ list in 2023. The area has some of Scotland’s most rugged and spectacular landscapes including Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain. From Inverness you can take local bus routes to explore the famous Loch Ness or the Black Isle and pretty coastal towns like Cromarty. You can also pick up a number of bus tours north to explore more remote areas of the Highlands or head south to explore areas like Aviemore and the Cairngorms.
Inverness has many nice shops, restaurants and pubs, and is a small but busy city with plenty to do. The city hosts annual music festivals like The Gathering, a celebration of traditional Scottish music, and Belladrum, a large family friendly pop music festival. The Eden Court arts centre on the banks of the River Ness has a theatre, cinema and art gallery, whilst Inverness Art Gallery and Museum hosts exhibitions by contemporary artists and makers throughout the year.
Despite its rural location, it is relatively easy to get around this part of Scotland on public transport. Forres is well connected by rail and bus, and its proximity to Inverness allows you to connect with other major cities in the UK by rail and air.
Getting Here
Train
Depending on where you are arriving from, it may be most convenient to arrive in Forres by train. You can get direct services to Forres from both Inverness and Aberdeen train stations which both connect to national rail services across Scotland and the UK.
Plane
Inverness has a small airport with flights connecting you from other international airports in the UK including London Airports, Manchester and Bristol, as well as Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. There is a train service from Inverness airport to Forres which takes around twenty minutes. Flight time between Inverness and London airports is around an hour and a half.
Car
Places to Eat & Drink
→ Black Isle Bar
→ Perk Coffee
→ Thai Dining
→ The Bakery
→ Hootananny
→ Walrus & Corkscrew
→ Rendezvous Cafe
→ McLeod’s Fish and Chips
→ The Dores Inn, Loch Ness
The main road in and out of Forres is the A96 which connects Inverness and Aberdeen. From Inverness you can pick up the A9 which connects Inverness with central Scotland, and links to motorways for Edinburgh and Glasgow. Alternatively you can take the scenic route via the Dava Moor and join the A9 at Aviemore.
By Train
By Car
Images Clockwise / Andy Buchanan — GSA Forres Campus.
Corrie Jennison — REM, Fine Art Photography 2023. Finnian Croy — Fallishger II, Fine Art Photography 2022.
Davenport
Comharran Chaorach, Product Design 2021.
around Getting
Campus Shuttle
There is a shuttle service between the town and Altyre Campus which runs on weekday mornings and late afternoons to take you to and from campus. The shuttle has three pick up points in Forres, all conveniently located for the halls of residence and students living elsewhere in the town.
Cycling
It is possible to cycle off road between the campus and Forres town, and many students choose to buy bikes to travel between the two. It is fairly common for graduating students to sell their bikes to incoming students. You can also keep an eye on sites like Gumtree for second hand bikes being sold locally. The Altyre Campus has secure bike storage and repair kits and tools available on campus for carrying out minor repairs and maintenance. The Bike Bothy in Forres offers repair and maintenance services.
Bus
Stagecoach is the main bus operator in the area. The number 9 and 10 services run between Aberdeen and Inverness and offers connections from Forres to local towns like Elgin and Nairn. The journey time from Forres to Nairn and Elgin is around 25 minutes respectively.
In Scotland, young people under the age of 22 who live in Scotland for at least six months of the year are entitled to a free bus pass allowing you free travel on local services. Visit Freebus.scot for more information about the scheme.
Forres train station is a two minute walk from The Royal halls of residence and runs frequent services to Aberdeen and Inverness, as well as local towns like Nairn and Elgin. Both Inverness and Aberdeen have regular train services to Glasgow and Scotland’s capital city, Edinburgh. The journey time by train to both Glasgow and Edinburgh from Inverness is around four and a half hours.
It is generally quicker and cheaper to travel by train than bus if you do not qualify for a free bus pass. All students in full time education, including those in postgraduate study regardless of their age, can apply for a 16-25 railcard giving you access to discounted rail fairs across the UK. If you are aged between 26 and 30, you can also apply for a railcard regardless of your student status. Visit www.railcard.co.uk for more information on how to apply for a railcard.
Taxi
There are two principal taxi operators in Forres - Mundole Taxis and Spot On Cabs. Taxis can only be paid for in cash, so be sure to ask how much it will cost when ordering. It is a good idea to book return journeys where possible.
Being active
With its rural setting, close to the coast, it is easy to be active whilst living in Moray. Students can get advice on organising trips and activities for mountain biking, skiing and walking from campus staff.
Walks
Moray has some spectacular landscapes, offering stunning walks of varying difficulty. There are a number of well signposted trails in and around Forres, including the Dava Way and the Moray Coastal Trail. There are also nice short walks around the town, including walks around Grant Park and Cluny Hill from which you can see stunning panoramic view of the Moray Coast.
The campus offers some stunning walks too. The walk from the main campus building around Loch of Blairs takes around an hour to complete whilst the walk from the campus buildings up to Scurry Pools takes a similar amount of time and runs through farm and woodland along the Altyre Burn.
Walks and Trails to try depending on your level of confidence include:
→ Circular walk around Loch of Blairs (4km)
→ Randolph’s Leap (4km)
→ Forres to Findhorn (16km)
→ Sections of the Moray Coastal Trail (varying lengths)
→ Brodie Castle and Pond (3km)
Outdoor Swimming
The Moray Coast has some stunning bays to explore and brave the cold waters of the North Sea. The Visit Forres website has put together some good spots close to the town for wild swimming as well resources for staying safe whilst wild swimming in Scotland. The closest beach to Forres is Findhorn, where you can swim in the waters of the Moray Firth. Further along the coast to the east beaches at Hopeman and Covesea offer some quiet spots for ‘a dook’, whilst inland there are freshwater swimming spots along the River Findhorn.
When swimming in open water in Scotland, you should pay close attention to your personal safety and the safety of others. Wear visible and suitable swim wear like a wetsuit, do plenty of research and risk assess your swim noting tidal and weather conditions in particular. Never wild swim by yourself, and always observe the Water Safety Scotland Open Water Swimming Safety Code.
Skiing
From Inverness you can catch the train to Aviemore, Scotland’s prime spot for skiing and snowboarding during the winter months. In warmer parts of the year there is also a popular dry ski slope. There are a number of places in Aviemore where you can get lessons and rent equipment easily.
The Glasgow School of Art Highlands & Islands Campus
Blairs Farm, Steading, Altyre Estate, Forres, Scotland, IV36 2SH www.gsa.ac.uk/highlands-and-islands
Images / Clockwise / Gina Wall — Laavu Project, Altyre Campus, Thatching in Progress. Andy Buchanan — Forres Beach. Rose Davenport — FAILEAS The Hands My Mother Gave Me, Fashion Design 2024. Michiel Turner — Peat Bogs, Sound for the Moving Image 2023. Andy Buchanan — GSA Forres Campus.